UI Presents Exhibit at Iowa State Fair August 11-21

Friday, August 5, 2011

University News Release

The University of Iowa will share its excellent educational programs, remarkable research, and amazing athletics at the 2011 Iowa State Fair exhibit Thursday, Aug. 11, through Sunday, Aug. 21, in the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.

"We wouldn't miss the State Fair. We love to meet and greet Iowans, answer their questions, and tell them about how the University works with them to make our state better all the time," said Steve Parrott, UI's Iowa State Fair exhibit coordinator. "This year, we'll have exhibits to increase children's brain power, robots that play soccer, and replicas of two of Grant Wood's most famous paintings, including 'American Gothic,' with cut-outs that will allow fair-goers to take their photos as part of the paintings."

Daily drawings for Hawkeye football tickets and other UI athletics events will be held. Various Hawkeye merchandise will be sold for fans of all ages, and there will be plenty of giveaways such as Hawkeye temporary tattoos and posters. More than 200 UI faculty, staff, students, alumni and I-Club members will volunteer at the exhibit.

Standout former Hawkeye athletes, coaches and broadcasters will be available to meet fairgoers. Among those scheduled to appear are former Hawkeye football and track star Tim Dwight (photo, left) from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, and legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable (photo, right)from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15. Herky and the spirit squad will be there to excite Hawkeye fans from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, through Sunday, Aug. 14, and on Friday, Aug. 19.

Visitors can learn about some of the programs and services at the UI at several exhibits at the UI booth, including an exhibit showcasing robots built by high school students. The College of Engineering will be featuring FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) tech robots from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, and Saturday, Aug. 20. Visitors will be able to take their turn competing in a friendly game of soccer while driving small student-built robots on a field set up on a table. Other College of Engineering highlights at the fair include dissecting a virtual cadaver using "CyberAnatomy," on Friday, August 12, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. The program associated with the Center for Computer-Aided Design. On Thursday, August 18, Thaos Papanicolaou will present "Farming the climate, keeping the carbon."

The Delta Center in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will be featuring Brain Play: How parents can boost children's cognitive, physical and creative growth. Children visiting the Delta Center booth will be invited to play games with graduate students on Thursday, Aug. 11. Meanwhile, other students will talk with parents/caregivers about their roles as facilitators of learning.

On Wednesday, Aug. 17, the Department of Geoscience will showcase displays of fossils donated by Iowans. Kids will be able to be paleontologists for a day as they get to hunt for their own fossils in the fossil hunt sandbox. The term, "finder's keepers," applies because whatever the children find in the sandbox they own.